Tail-light for vehicles.



E. 5. SWEET.

.-TAIL LIGHT FOR VEHIGLES,

APPLICATION FILED mnjlo, 191s.

Patented May 26, 1914.

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EMWSK/RSWWV BY 0H6 E. E. SWEET.

TAIL LIGHTIOR VEHICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR.10, 1913. I 1 097,731 Patented May 26,1914.-

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E. B. SWEET. TAIL LIGHT FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION TILED MAR. 10, 1913.

Patented May 26, 19 14.

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ERNEST E. SWEET, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TAIL-LIGHT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May .26, 1914.

Application filed March 10, 1913. Serial No. 753.187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ennssr E. Swear, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michi an, have invented a new and useful Tailight for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals adapted to be mounted on the rear en 5 of automobiles and other vehicles in order to indicate to any vehicles following the intention of the operator or driver of the veh cle thus equipped, and its object is to provide a tail and easily cleaned, and which can structed at low cost.

This invention consists in a shell havm a longitudinal window in its rear side, a series of pro erly perforated se nental shutters pivotal y mounted in said s iell and having means to swin them across the window, and an electric lamp within the shell.

It further consists in formin the shell with a window in the bottom an mounting a reflector adjacent thereto so that light from the lamp may be reflected onto a license tag or advertising sign so that it can be easily read by persons in the rear of the vehicle.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a rear elevation of this improved tail li ht. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 0 Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the device. Fi is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. igs. 5 and 6 are elevations of a shutter.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The ordinary tail lamps of automobiles and other vehicles merely indicate the presence of such vehicles and automobiles often collide because the vehicle ahead turns to the right or left or even stops and reverses without notifying the vehicle following. The present evice is so constructed that such notice can be given by a driver to everyone in osition to see his tail lamp. 7

n the drawing? the shell 1, which may be cylindrical, has ends 2 and 8, awindow 4 of transparent material, havin a frame 5, a window 6 of similar material having a frame 7, and a door 8 mounted on a roper rod 9- carried by the eyes 10 of the s ell to ermit cleaning of the interior of the strucure. The windows 4 and 6 may be of any light which shall be simple, easily operated desired construction, either tlat, curved, or in the form of lenses, but the window 4 is preferably of red glass and the window (3 01 clear glass. Extending through hubs 12 on the heads 2 and 3, are screws 13 on which the shutters are mounted.

Four shutters are shown in Figs. 2 and 4, althou h the number may be changed {1:1 (lC5llt(. Each has ends 14 and 15, an inwardly extending hub 16 on each end, an arm 17 on one of the ends, and a body 1s n'ovided with an opening so that the ight from the lamp 20 can always shine through the glass 4. The body also has slots 21, forming characters, preferably constituting one of the words Stop, Reverse, Left and Right. The shutters are arranged as shown in I igs. 9. and l, with the hubs of one on the hubs of the ad acent shutter, and with the hubs oi the inner shutter mounted on the inner ends of the screws 18. Each shutter has one arm 17 to which connects a wire or cord 24 that passes out of the shell through one of the holes 22 in the door. It is desirable that the arms 17 of adjacent shutters he at opposite ends of the shell so that the cords 24 may be separated. An electric cablo'QB, of any desired construction, connects to the lam 20 mounted on the bracket 25, which braciiet connects to the bracket 26, that supports the signal, by rivets 27.

The cords or wires 24 swing the shutters down against the pull oi springs 28, one -For each shutter. which springs connect; to the shutters and to the eye-bolts 29 mounted on the door, thereby holding the front edges of the shutters against the bar 30 connected to the shell I. and the upper edge of the door against this same bar. This pull of the springs prevents the shutters and the door 8 from rattlin The springs 28 preferably connect to those ends 14 of the shutters to which the arms 17 are attached. and thus twisting of the shutters is avoided. The cords or wires 24 connect to any desired actuating mechanism. Thus, the cord from the stop shutter may, connect to the clutch lever, the cord to the reverse shutter may connect to the reverse lever. while the cords to the right and left shutters may connect to readily accessible special devices.

A license tag 39. or sign of any desired construction and bearing proper figures. letters or other characters, may be secured to the bracket 26 by screws 33. A window 34 may be mounted inthe frame 35 in the bottom of the shell so that light from the lamp .20 may fall on the polished surface 36 and be reflected down onto the tag 32.

The details of construction and the proportions of the diiierent parts of this device may all be changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofmy invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim.

1. The combination of a cylindrical shell, ends for the same, a bracket to so )port the shell, windows in the side of the sliell, pivots mounted in the ends of the shell, a series of segmental shutters mounted on said )iVOiS concentric with each other and having slots in the form of characters, a t'lexible actuating member for each shutter adapted to move it across a window in the side of the shell, a lamp within the shell, a door formed in the shell to give access to its interior, and springs connecting to the door and shutters to return the shutters and hold the door in position.

2 The combination of 'a cylindrical shell, ends for the same, means to sup wrt the shell, a. window in the side of tie ,shell, pivots mounted in the ends of the shell, a segmental shutter mounted on said pivot and havin slots in the form of characters, a tlexibe actuating member for the shutter adapted to move it across the window, a lam 1 within the shell, a door formed in the shell connecting the door and shutter to return the shutter and hold the door in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST E. SW l ll l'l.

Witnesses \VM. T. Nasn, Dam. I. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents, Washington. D. 0."

to give access to its interior, and means 

